Gangs unwelcome at Fayetteville's Dogwood Festival

The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival has told some gang members that they will not be welcome at this year's event.

The Fayetteville Observer reported the festival organizers have written a number of gang members to tell them to stay away from the three-day event that starts Friday.

An attorney for the police department says gang members have made threats to engage in criminal activity during the festival.

Festival executive director Carrie King says organizers have used information from the police department to compile a list of people who could cause problems at the event.

"We actually want people to know that this is a fun event, this is a safe event. The police officers do their job tremendously. The measures that we take - and that they take together - that we're just being proactive," King told ABC11 Tuesday.

King and police attorney Patricia Bradley said they don't know how many people have been banned from the festival.

Police spokesman Todd Joyce said Cumberland County sheriff's deputies have delivered the letters.